Certain CPT codes are billed with what is known as a Global Period.
The Global Period refers to a certain CPT code that is all-inclusive of all charges during a period of time. This will most often be seen for a surgical procedure, which can be performed either in the provider’s office, the hospital or in a surgical center. This Global Period can also be used to indicate that a procedure can only be done once in this period of time.
The first step to creating a global period is to find or create your CPT code in Lists>Service Code List:
Once in the Service Code List you will find or create your code:
Once you open your Service Code, you will see the words Global Period:
Next to the words, you will enter the number days in the Global Period. When you have done this, you will Save Changes to the left:
This will return you to the Service Code List screen. You are now ready to use the code in the Ledger. To use the code, create a new transaction and type the code into the Ledger:
The next time you go into this Ledger, you will see this warning pop up:
This will alert your biller not to charge either the insurance company or the patient during this period of time for items related to this procedure. You will also see a Global Period warning at the top of the Patient Ledger:
This does show up in all Billings, whether that code is in the billing or not.
In the Scheduler, when scheduling this patient, there is a warning within the Appointment Entry screen on the bottom to alert your scheduler:
When the Global Period is over, that warning disappears:
If you have questions regarding this functionality of TotalMD, please contact our support or training departments at 800-613-7597 Option 2 for Support or Option 3 for Training. If you would like a printable copy of this article, please contact Training at Option 3.